It’s been almost a year now since Season 3 of HBO’s hit series, Game of Thrones, came to a close; and as it has been since it’s beginning, the wait is almost unbearable at times. However, HBO recently aired a short, 14 minute preview of Season 4 to whet our appetites, and whet our appetites it did. The preview, titled “Foreshadowing”, offered numerous glimpses into some of the pivotal moments that occur in the second half of A Storm of Swords, and as such, we’ve put together our top 5 most anticipated moments of Season 4…

*WARNING: HEAVY SPOILERS TO FOLLOW*

Honorable MentionsDany’s dragons have steadily gone from relatively cute, (as cute as a fire-breathing reptile can be), to relatively intimidating throughout Seasons 2 and 3. However, it’s in the latter half of A Storm of Swords and the early moments of A Feast of Crows that the dragons truly begin to show their menace. We should finally start to see why three of these creatures enabled Aegon Targaryen to conquer all of Westeros; and I personally look forward to seeing Drogon, (believed to be the reincarnation of Aegon’s monstrous dragon, Balerion), in action. Luckily, the “Foreshadowing” preview ended with a short shot of Drogon, meaning there’s plenty more dragon carnage to look forward to in Season 4.

Yara Greyjoy had one of my personal favorite scenes, albeit brief, in Season 3. She announced her plans, to her disapproving father, to rescue Theon from Ramsay Snow and bring him home. Although in the books Yara, (named Asha in the books), fails to rescue or even find Theon, I’m excited to see how she marches on the North with her small band of Ironborn killers.

Now for the real list…

#5 Lord LittlefingerIn Season 3, Littlefinger continued his climb to the top by securing a marriage to Lysa Arryn, allowing him to claim Lordship over the Vale, at least until Robert Arryn comes of age. After a major series of events that I’ll be mentioning later, Littlefinger leaves King’s Landing and arrives in the Vale to assume his new role. However, it is the revelations that follow that make this one of my most anticipated moments.

One of the earliest story lines in the show revolved around the death, and apparent murder, of Jon Arryn. Up until this point in time, it is widely believed that the Lannisters were behind his murder, which largely contributed to Ned Stark’s distrust of the richest family in Westeros. However, unbeknownst to everyone that isn’t Sherlock Holmes, it is revealed that Petyr Baelish and Jon Arryn’s wife, Lysa Arryn, were behind the murder themselves. Not only do I look forward to this being revealed for all to see, I look forward to another revelation Petyr makes to Lysa, resulting in a rather unfortunate fall for her.

#4 Apparently Lannisters don’t shit goldAgain, following the events that I will be mentioning soon, Tyrion Lannister finds himself in a very precarious situation. Tyrion, learning a terrible truth about his past from his brother Jaime, storms The Tower of the Hand to seek vengeance against his own father, Tywin. In the tower, Tyrion finds much more than just his father. He finds his apparent love, Shae, in his father’s bed.

Infuriated by this, and the revelation Jaime had made moments earlier, Tyrion proceeds to strangle his ex-lover to death with a chain, before confronting his father in the restroom. Tyrion proceeds to produce one of the more shocking moments in a series of shocking moments, by shooting his own father to death with a crossbow. It is here Tyrion, in true homage to his character, thinks to himself the old saying that, “Lannisters shit gold”, yet on examining the evidence before him, finds this to be yet another lie. In a season that is shaping up too be full of traumatic moments, I look forward to seeing this scene play out.

#3 Different color, same weddingEveryone under the Sun, whether they watch the show or not, has heard about the now infamous, “Red Wedding”, that brought Season 3 to a close. While the King in the North lay dead, the King on the Iron Throne was preparing for his own wedding. Although not named in the books, the wedding between Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell has been dubbed the ,”Purple Wedding”, by fans, and has a similar outcome to that of Robb Stark’s.

Robb Stark is dead and the North defeated. Renly Baratheon is dead and Stannis Baratheon is severely weakend. Things are beginning to look up for the Lannisters in King’s Landing. However, in typical Game of Thrones fashion, things quickly descend into chaos when Joffrey is poisoned and dies at his own wedding. This results in the precarious situation Tyrion finds himself in, that I mentioned earlier, as he is blamed for the murder, imprisoned and put on trial.

This death finally rids the Seven Kingdoms of their malicious boy King, yet drags the nation into even further chaos, as the Lannisters now begin to attack themselves from the inside. While I’ve put it at number 3 on my list, I’m sure many, if not most, fans would put this at number 1 on theirs.

#2 The Viper and The MountainFrom what I’ve read on the internet, this scene is easily one of the top three most anticipated moments in Season 4, and rightly so. There have been a few personal battles throughout Game of Thrones so far, each memorable in their own right. Whether it was Jaime and Ned, Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand, Bronn and Ser Vardis or The Hound and Beric Dondarrion; each fight was unique and equally entertaining. However, none are on the same level as the personal duel between Oberyn Martell and Gregor Clegane that will occur in Season 4.

In Season 3, I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorite characters from the books, Ramsay Snow, perfectly portrayed by Iwan Rheon throughout the 10 episode story line. Similarly, I look forward to see how Pedro Pascal will take on the role of Oberyn, the Prince of Dorne, and appropriately nicknamed the, “Red Viper”. Oberyn has come to King’s Landing to, in his own words, attend the royal wedding and exact personal revenge against Gregor Clegane.

Gregor Clegane, called, “The Mountain”, for his unnatural size and strength, was responsible for the death of Oberyn Martell’s sister over a decade before the events of A Storm of Swords. During Tyrion’s trial for the murder of King Joffrey, he requests a trial by combat to improve his chances of survival. Gregor Clegane is chosen to fight against Tyrion’s champion, and Prince Oberyn happily volunteers to fight The Mountain.

What ensues is one of the most exhilarating and satisfying fights in the entire book series, resulting in the death of both fighters, which will surely make for a similarly spectacular sequence in the show.

#1 Lord Snow and the WildlingsFor my number one moment, I’ve technically gone with two separate moments, but I feel they can be justified to count as one. As we know from the previous 3 seasons, the wildlings beyond the wall, under the leadership of Mance Rayder, have been preparing to march on the wall to escape the dangers close behind them. Jon Snow, having spent time amongst the wildlings, has returned to Castle Black and warned his brothers of the impending threat that faces them.

With the help of the few Night’s Watch members still remaining, Jon Snow and the surviving leaders of the Watch stand off against the wildling forces that are attacking Castle Black. The impending battle is long and bloody, and the Night’s Watch are on the verge of defeat when Stannis Baratheon arrives with his forces and helps route the wildling warriors. The battle is won, yet with the death of Commander Mormont North of the wall, the Watch is left without a leader. This is where the second element of this entry comes into play.

In the wake of the battle, Jon is lauded by his brothers for rallying the Night’s Watch forces and helping lead them to victory in the battle. For this, and the behind-the-scenes workings of his trusted friend Samwell Tarly, Jon is almost unanimously, and surprisingly, elected as the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. The sweet irony of the moment being that for all the abuse he received from Alliser Thorne during his training, being mockingly referred to as “Lord Snow”; he was now, beyond doubt, Lord Snow, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.

With it already confirmed that the all-important 9th episode of Season 4 will revolved around the Battle of Castle Black, these two combined instances make for my most anticipated moment in Season 4 of Game of Thrones.

What are your thoughts heading into Season 4? Leave a comment below or let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

Having steered clear of Telltale Games’ uniquely crafted The Walking Dead, believing it wouldn’t be of much interest to me; I finally succumbed and played their second foray into episodic point-and-click games, The Wolf Among Us. I was thoroughly impressed with the vibrant art style, noir world, and of course, it’s gripping writing and story. Needless to say, I’ve gone back and played season one of The Walking Dead from start to finish, and found it similarly enjoyable, however simplistic the premise may sound. While season one of TWD tided me over between Episodes 1 and 2 of TWAU, after four months of waiting I found myself wondering if an Episode 2 would ever be released. Silly me, who was I to question Telltale and their fantastic team? Come February 4th, Episode 2, titled, “Smoke and Mirrors”, was released, proving to be well worth the wait. Here’s my review of The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 – “Smoke and Mirrors”…

*Be warned, this review is NOT spoiler free*

Picking up where Episode 1, “Faith” ended, Bigby is frantically pushed to solve the murders that are occurring around Fabletown. As you might expect in a five episode series, Episode 1 introduced the numerous Fables to us, while Episode 2 seems to have fleshed a number of them out. Bigby, Snow White and Ichabod Crane were the main characters we saw in greater detail; while supporting characters such as Beauty, Beast, Gren and Holly were given more time on-screen to develop as well.

I was also happy to see the introduction of some new characters, while bemused to find some others excluded. There were no signs of the Woodsman or Colin from Episode 1, but Bluebeard was an interesting addition, providing a potential ally to those players choosing to tread down a more violent path with Bigby. Jack was similarly interesting to meet, a wise-cracking, smart ass character who you could see causing Bigby a number of problems down the road. However, Georgie was the real addition to the episode. A ‘pimp’ was briefly mentioned during my playthrough of Faith, but I never actually encountered Georgie, (nor do I know if you actually could). His repulsive personality and complete disregard for his female employees made him immediately loathable. However disgusting he may have seemed to me, I never physically attacked him when given the many opportunities to do so, which plays in fantastically with Telltale’s system of consequences.

In Episode 1, I found myself time and time again picking the violent, rude and blunt options in almost every scenario I found myself in. I was the Big Bad Wolf. I beat the Woodsman to near death, smacked around Toad and ripped of Grendel’s arm without batting an eye. Starting up Episode 2, I immediately got the sense that my choices may not have been the best ones to make, and this is where Telltale exceeds. Everyone I talked to seemed to be wary to tell me much of anything, or even get close to me, in fear of what I may or may not do to them. This was the price I paid for making the choices that I had. Ironically, one of the few people that seemed less angry with me than before was Gren, who was significantly lighter than he had been during our previous encounter.

As such, throughout Smoke and Mirrors, I attempted to be less like the Big Bad Wolf of old, and more like Bigby Wolf: town sheriff and protector of the Fable community. Although admittedly I did interrogate Tweedle Dee quite… Harshly, I found myself far less confrontational with other characters. I went easy on TJ, Toad’s son, after knowing what he had been through; I refused to hit Georgie as much as I despised him; and I only lashed out at Beast after he had left me with no other option. In a sense, I was trying to correct the wrongs of the past. To what extent? I didn’t know. All I knew was that it felt… right, and other players seemingly agreed. The post-episode ratings showed that the vast majority of players chose the less violent route like I had, which is again a tip of the hat to Telltale’s ability to make it feel like these actions truly matter.

Having touched upon the consequences Telltale Games lays out for players, another aspect that I felt strongly throughout Episode 2 was deceit. The title of “Smoke and Mirrors” well and truly fit the episode, where at almost every turn I felt as though I was being lied to. It immediately struck me in the opening car ride with Crane, where I was astounded to see that Crane seemingly cared about Snow White. It didn’t seem, Crane-like. I felt it again when Georgie constantly hindered my inevitable discovery of the truth, and again when Beauty was explaining her situation at the hotel. As much as I wanted to believe someone like Beauty, I found myself unable to. It all seemed too fake to me. There was one quote in particular that brought out the sense of deceit more than any other, when after the confrontation with Beast, Beauty examines the crime scene and proclaims, “what kind of person could do this?”. My immediate, gut reaction to this question was answered in my own head: “A beast”. Was Beast aware that Bigby was investigating the hotel? Was the fight merely a cover up? Maybe this was me being overly suspicious, or perhaps future episodes will provide me with the conclusion I have already drawn. Only time will tell.

Although one pivotal question was answered right at the end of the episode, my only real complaint about Smoke and Mirrors was that the story didn’t seem to go all that far. Faith established the characters, introduced certain stories and had time to conclude some as well. Smoke and Mirrors however didn’t seem to get us much further along in the investigation. Where Episode 1 posed the questions, Episode 2 still hasn’t answered them. If anything, I feel that I have even more questions heading into Episode 3. Whether or not it is a good thing that these questions weren’t answered depends on how Telltale’s next three episodes play out, but after finishing Smoke and Mirrors, it didn’t feel like it was.

All in all however, Episode 2 – “Smoke and Mirrors” was yet another addition to Telltale’s expanding list of fantastic work. Telltale have become well known for their excellent stories that rely heavily on choices, instincts and consequences. Episode 2 was an embodiment of all of these aspects, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the future. Bring on Episode 3.

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Since launching in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has been a video game staple and one of the faces of a generation. Ubisoft started by inviting us to the Holy lands in the midst of the Third Crusade, a very dull and dreary landscape made bearable by the game itself. Next, we visited Renaissance Italy, with cities such as Florence, Venice and Rome providing a vibrant landscape that helped fully establish the Assassin’s Creed series as a video game giant. After the relatively lackluster visits to Istanbul and the Western coast of the United States, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag reinvigorated the series and brought the players to the Caribbean, towards the end of the Golden Age of piracy. The sprawling ocean dotted with numerous islands, both large and small in size, was a refreshing and thoroughly successful choice of locale for the series.

With every new iteration of the series, there are months of speculation as to where the next game could possibly be located, and this year is no different. With an Assassin’s Creed V almost certain in 2014, there are numerous theories and rumors as to where Ubisoft might go next. Despite the almost universal praise for AC IV’s naval combat and exploration, I struggle to see the next iteration being as heavily influenced by the sea as it’s predecessor, if at all. There is speculation, fueled by a poll Ubisoft conducted on the subject, that there will be a standalone pirate game completely unrelated to the Assassin’s Creed series. If this is the case, then I fail to see the developers keeping the naval aspect of Black Flag in the series, and as such, my desires and predictions for AC V’s location largely exclude naval gameplay.

Another note to add is with regards to the supposed clues given in AC IV as to the location of future Assassin’s Creed titles, found within the many emails the player can sift through. A number of my predictions for AC V come from these emails, which list the locations of Desmond Miles’ ancestors across the world; yet I can’t help but feel this is just Ubisoft’s way of subtly joking about the often very intense theories surrounding where the series may head to next.

Without further adieu, here are my five predictions for Assassin’s Creed V’s next location…

#5 MONGOLIAN EMPIRE c.1217-1227Throughout history, many empires have risen and subsequently fallen. Alexander’s Macedonian empire and the later Roman empire were massive and covered most of the world, but even these were not on the same scale as that of Genghis Khan’s famous Mongolian empire in the 13th century. Although Genghis Khan is the most widely know leader of the Mongolian Empire, it wasn’t until roughly fifty years after his death that the empire he created reached it’s peak. However, Genghis Khan started it all, and was feared across the world for the sheer destruction his Mongol armies left in their wake. The expansion and carnage that is associated with Genghis Khan is enticing in and of itself, yet it is the associations with the Assassin’s Creed series that are already in place that makes it even more appealing.

Ataïr’s story, beginning in the first Assassin’s Creed game and culminating in Revelations, tied together the story of the Ataïr’s Levantine Assassins with their Mongolian counterparts. From 1217 to 1227, Ataïr, his wife and their eldest son traveled to the Mongolian empire in an attempt to quell the growing threat of Genghis Khan. There, they meet the Mongolian assassin Qulan Gal, who made a minor, almost unnoticeable appearance in Assassin’s Creed II, (pictured above), and ultimately brought down the Great Khan together.

Although the outcome of the story might be known to players, as the death of Genghis Khan at the hands of the Assassins has already been revealed in the tie-in book series; the ten year period in which the assassination occurs is a lot to sink your teeth into. It is hard to picture what might be climbable in the steppe, known for it’s emptiness and relative flatness, but having seen the success of the Caribbean world in Black Flag, I have faith that Ubisoft could pull something off here.

#4 LATIN AMERICAc.1519-1522
This was not one of the locations hinted at in Assassin’s Creed IV, but I think it would make for an interesting location and time period nonetheless. From 1519 to 1522, the Spanish Conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, fought and ultimately conquered the Aztec empire, contributing to three hundred subsequent years of colonization by the Spanish.

Again, through the tie-in books, we know that the Assassins already had a presence and impact on Cortés’ conquest of the Aztecs, and it is enticing to think of which side the player might find themselves on. Would you be an Aztec assassin, struggling to free your people from inevitable conquest? Or would you be a Spanish conquistador, helping your people claim new lands for the Spanish empire? It is well documented that many Aztecs thought the Spanish soldiers were Gods, due to their ferocious fighting and superior technology, which could play well into the story of a ruthless Spanish assassin. Regardless of which side the player might find themselves on, the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs would definitely be an interesting time to visit.

#3 RUSSIA c.1917-1923Now the predictions start to get more plausible. Although the Assassin’s Creed novels certainly aren’t as well known as their video game counterparts, their stories are well known among many fans, most notably, the story of the Russian Assassins. The Russian revolution and subsequent civil war, spanning from 1917 to 1923, would make for a chaotic and violent setting, fitting for any Assassin’s Creed game.

Some of the most influential people in history, such as Vladimir Lenin, Tsar Nicholas II and Nikola Tesla were all present and pivotal to the events occurring at this time. Nikolai Orelov, the protagonist of the tie-in comics set during the time, would be an interesting character to explore, or to even encounter as a different Assassin venturing down their own path. The many myths and legends surrounding Tesla and his inventions fit perfectly into a world filled with powerful artifacts left over from the First Civilization. There is a lot to go off of here.

The setting also bodes well for an Assassin’s Creed title. Moscow and Saint Petersburg were old and established cities, with a fantastic architectural style that would evoke similar experiences felt in Florence and Venice. As mentioned above, the time period is full of violence, and would be well suited for multiple assassinations and acts of sabotage that the Assassin’s Creed games have become famous for. Early 20th century Russia has a lot to offer.

#2 FRANCE c.1790-1816
This setting is one that many people have been waiting to see in an Assassin’s Creed game, and one that Ubisoft themselves have hinted at. One of the emails in Assassin’s Creed IV mentions that Desmond Miles has ancestors, through his matrilineal heritage, in both the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Although these are two separate times, they are also so close together, (three years between the end of the revolution and the outbreak of war), that in my opinion it would make more sense for them to be considered as one game.

The Assassins order has come to be the embodiment of freedom, fighting against the Templar oppressors throughout history. There are few eras in history that I could therefore consider a better setting for an Assassin’s Creed game. The game could begin a short while before the outbreak of the revolution in 1792, and similarly to Connor’s story in Assassin’s Creed III, the titular Assassin could spearhead the French fight for freedom. Many years later in 1803, the world’s favorite Frenchman, Napoleon, has come into power and the French Empire has started the Napoleonic Wars. Like Ezio’s story, the protagonist would be much older and wiser now, and would have to once again fight against an oppressor to free France.

It is enticing to think of what Ubisoft could do with such a story and such a time in history, and I, like many others, would love to see it as a result.

#1 JAPAN c.1560-1616Now for the number one spot. Probably the most sought after location for an Assassin’s Creed game, and my personal favorite: Japan. Through the same email that mentioned Desmond’s ancestors in France, it is also mentioned that he has ancestors in Ashikaga Japan during the 14th century. However, I’ve decided to go with the same location, but a different time period.

As a lover of history, (one of the many reasons I love the Assassin’s Creed series), 16th Century Japan is easily one of my favorite time periods in world history. Known as the ‘Sengoku Jidai’, or ‘Warring States Period’, Japan spent nearly two centuries at war. The time period of 1560 to 1616 is the latter years of the conflict, resulting in the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate that would rule Japan until 1868. For this 40-50 year period, the protagonist could, similar to how Connor aided George Washington, aid Tokugawa Ieyasu in his rise to becoming Shogun. With many clans and many families warring with each other during this period, it would be an ideal setting for an Assassin to work his or her trade.

The setting of Japan itself is also highly appealing to fans. Japan is well known for it’s fantastically designed castles and towns, providing a perfect venue for the agile defenders of freedom to do what they do best. It also fits perfectly into the Assassin’s values of honor and stealth. Throughout history, there are few examples of honor and stealth more perfect than the Samurai and Ninjas respectively, adding yet another fantastic tie-in to the Assassin’s Creed series.

All in all, Japan would make a perfect venue for an Assassin’s Creed game, whether it be in the 13th, 14th, 15th or 16th century, it hardly matters; as long as we’re there, we’re happy.

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